Lectures, Discussions & Workshops

- Wednesday, Feb. 1
Noon, "Thelonious Sphere Monk: An Exploration of Monk's Impact as One of the Giants of American Music," by Bill Maakestad, WIU professor emeritus, management, Multicultural Center multipurpose room, sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center. The program will explore Monk's unique improvisational style and his impact on the development of jazz in American music.

- Thursday, Feb. 16
12:30 p.m., "From an Innovative Idea to an Entrepreneurship Venture," by Tamara Harris, founder of Selene's Sensations LLC. Stipes Hall 121, sponsored by the College of Business and Technology.
Harris' company caters events for individuals, non-profit organizations and large corporations in metro Atlanta, GA. The WIU graduate will share her journey that moved from an innovative idea to entrepreneurship and how it's possible to remain sustainable while still doing what you love.

- Monday, Feb. 20
4:30 p.m. "Black History Heritage Bowl," University Union Heritage Room, sponsored by Black Student Association. The program will provide a fun and interactive way to promote scholastics, black history, and general information about the history of blacks at WIU.

- Tuesday, Feb. 28
6 p.m., lecture, "Black Power Goes to the Movies," by Jo-Ann Morgan, WIU associate professor of African American studies, Morgan Hall 109, sponsored by the Department of African American Studies. Morgan will lecture about the role of the Hollywood action genre and social problem films play to advance the political ideology of Black Power during the 1960s and 70s.

- Wednesday, Feb. 29
7 p.m., "Black Men on Campus: How We Fit (or Don't Fit) at a PWI (Predominantly White Institution)," by Ron Pettigrew, WIU academic adviser and J.Q. Adams, WIU professor of educational and interdisciplinary studies, Multicultural Center multipurpose room. Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Masculinities and Men's Development (CSMMD), Black Student Association, Black Caucus, African American Studies Department Club and United Greek Council.
Pettigrew and Adams will moderate a discussion with African American male students from WIU about their experiences in a predominately white institution.

- Wednesday, Feb. 29
Noon, "The Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement," by Marlon Blake, graduate assistant, Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, Multicultural Center board room, sponsored by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center. The program will teach students, faculty and staff about those who contributed to the Civil Rights movements, including those who stood beside Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X in the struggle for freedom and justice.

Special Events

The luncheon will include heart-healthy offerings prepared by students in professor Lorri Kanauss' dietetics, fashion merchandising and hospitality class. The cost of the meal is $9 for non-students and $7 for students.

February is Heart Health Month and Feb. 3 is National Wear Red Day for Women's Heart Health sponsored by American Heart Association's Go Red for Women organization. African American women are 35 percent more likely to die of heart disease than Caucasian women.

The event will include a one-hour reading of works by classic African American poets, read by WIU students, staff and faculty. If time permits, audience participants will be invited to read their poetry.

Members of the Black History Month Planning Committee include: the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, Black Student Association, Cultural Expressions, WIU Chapter National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), University Housing and Dining Services, Women's Center, WIU Department of African American Studies, University Relations, Office of Student Activities and the Office of Conference and Event Services.

All events are open free to the public unless otherwise noted (indicated with an *). For more information about any of the following events, contact the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center at (309) 298-2220.